When the MSU gymnasts headed into the NCAA Auburn Regional with the No. 6 seed this weekend, they were hoping for a similar result to last year’s tournament appearance, when the Spartans placed in third — falling just short of advancing to the next round.
However, it was not to be, as the Spartans placed sixth overall with a team score of 194.050 as Georgia and Oregon State placed first and second, respectively, to advance to the NCAA Championships.
“We started out on the floor extremely poorly,” head coach Kathie Klages said. “But we fought back from that and had great vault and floor rotations, so they learned how to dig deep and get the job done after a really poor start.”
On floor, MSU posted a score of 47.825, but rallied back on the next rotation, notching a team score of 49.000 — its highest scoring event of the night. Sophomore Taira Neal tied for fourth place on vault with a score of 9.900, just shy of the three gymnasts who tied for first with a score of 9.925.
Klages said Neal’s performance was the highlight of the night for her team.
MSU continued to compete at a higher level on the uneven parallel bars, when it posted a score of 48.900, before ending the evening with a 48.325 score on the balance beam.
Despite the Spartans’ disappointing finish, Klages said the team has built a foundation upon which it can build for the upcoming season.
“We saw some glimpses of what this team could be,” she said, citing the team’s 195.175 tie with then-No. 18 Illinois and its trip to Alaska-Anchorage as examples. “I’m really pleased that these gymnasts had the experience to be at the regional championships and see what it’s all about.”
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